title: [Influence of moxibustion apparatus as adjuvant treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis and patient's immune function].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify efficacy of moxibustion apparatus on pulmonary tuberculosis (PT) and explore adjuvant treatment method for PT.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred cases of PT were randomly divided into a moxibustion group and a routine treatment group, 50 cases in each one. The regular antituberculous therapy (2HRZE/4HRE) was applied in both groups. In addition, the moxibustion apparatus was used at Bailao (EX-HN 15), Feishu (BL 13), Gaohuang (BL 43), Qihai (CV 6), Zhongfu (LU 1), Danzhong (CV 17), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zusanli (ST 36) and so on in the moxibustion group. The change of lesion area in chest radiography, degradation rate of bacte rium in the sputum, T-lymphocyte subsets and natural kill (NK) cells were observed before and after treatment in two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the treatment for 3 months, there were 45 cases (90.0%) in the moxibustion group with more than 45% of focal absorption in chest radiography, which was obviously higher than 72.0% (36/50) in the routine treatment group (P < 0.01). The degradation rate of bacterium in the sputum in the moxibustion group was higher than that in the routine treatment group [82.0% (41/50) vs 60.0% (30/50), P < 0.01]. The CD3+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio of T-lymphocyte subsets and NK cells in the moxibustion group were significantly higher than those in the routine treatment group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On the basis of regular antituberculous therapy, moxibustion apparatus could significantly improve clinical effect, promote focal absorption and boost immunity, which is considered as an adjuvant treatment for PT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Lanzhou Municipal Hospital of Pulmonary Disease, Lanzhou 730046, Gansu Province, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yu-Gui
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Dao-Gang
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009071:Moxibustion; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult